Washington · statute · Wash. Rev. Code ch. 29A.12 · 21 active provisions
As used in this chapter, "voting system" means:(1) The total combination of mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic equipment including, but not limited to, the software, firmware, and documentation required to program, control, and support the equipment, that is used:(a) To define ballots;(b) To cast and count vo…
At any primary or election in any county, votes may be cast, registered, recorded, or counted by means of voting systems that have been approved under RCW 29A.12.020.
The secretary of state shall inspect, evaluate, and publicly test all voting systems or components of voting systems that are submitted for review under RCW 29A.12.030. The secretary of state shall determine whether the voting systems conform with all of the requirements of this title, the applicable rules adopted in a…
The manufacturer or distributor of a voting system or component of a voting system may submit that system or component to the secretary of state for examination under RCW 29A.12.020.
(1) The secretary of state may rely on the results of independent design, engineering, and performance evaluations in the examination under RCW 29A.12.020 if the source and scope of these independent evaluations are specified by rule.(2) The secretary of state may contract with experts in mechanical or electrical engin…
(1) Prior to use in conducting any primary or election, the secretary of state must approve systems used in the conduct of elections, including:(a) Voting systems, voting devices, or vote tallying systems, unless approved under this chapter or the former chapter 29.34 RCW before March 22, 1982; and(b) Any mechanical, e…
The county auditor of a county in which voting systems are used is responsible for the preparation, maintenance, and operation of those systems and may employ and direct persons to perform some or all of these functions.
An agreement to purchase or lease a voting system or a component of a voting system is subject to that system or component passing:(1) An acceptance test sufficient to demonstrate that the equipment is the same as that certified by the secretary of state and that the equipment is operating correctly as delivered to the…
No voting device shall be approved by the secretary of state unless it:(1) Secures to the voter secrecy in the act of voting;(2) Permits the voter to vote for any person for any office and upon any measure that he or she has the right to vote for;(3) Correctly registers all votes cast for any and all persons and for or…
Beginning on January 1, 2006, all direct recording electronic voting devices must produce a paper record of each vote that may be accepted or rejected by the voter before finalizing his or her vote. This record may not be removed from the voting center, and must be human readable without an interface and machine readab…
The secretary of state shall not approve a vote tallying system unless it:(1) Correctly counts votes on ballots on which the proper number of votes have been marked for any office or issue;(2) Ignores votes marked for any office or issue where more than the allowable number of votes have been marked, but correctly coun…
In preparing a voting device for a primary or election, a record shall be made of the programming installed in each device. Except where provided by a rule adopted under RCW 29A.04.611, after being prepared for a primary or election, each device shall be sealed with a uniquely numbered seal. The programmed memory pack…
(1) Before each state primary or general election at which voting systems are to be used, the county auditor shall instruct all counting center personnel who will operate a voting system in the proper conduct of their voting system duties.(2) The county auditor may waive instructional requirements for counting center p…
At least three days before each state primary or general election, the office of the secretary of state shall provide for the conduct of tests of the programming for each vote tallying system to be used at that primary or general election. The test must verify that the system will correctly count the vote cast for all…
The secretary of state may publish recommended procedures for the operation of the various vote tallying systems that have been approved. These procedures allow the office of the secretary of state to restrict or define the use of approved systems in elections.
The secretary of state shall not certify under this title any voting device or machine for use in conducting a primary or general or special election in this state unless the device or machine correctly records on a separate ballot the votes cast by each elector for any person and for or against any measure and such se…
(1) At each voting center, at least one voting unit certified by the secretary of state shall provide access to individuals who are blind or visually impaired.(2) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:(a) "Accessible" includes receiving, using, selecting, and manipulating voter data and controls…
(1) A manufacturer or distributor of a voting system or component of a voting system that is certified by the secretary of state under RCW 29A.12.020 shall disclose to the secretary of state and attorney general any breach of the security of its system immediately following discovery of the breach if:(a) The breach has…
(1) The secretary of state may decertify a voting system or any component of a voting system and withdraw authority for its future use or sale in the state if, at any time after certification, the secretary of state determines that:(a) The system or component fails to meet the standards set forth in applicable federal…
(1) The secretary of state must annually consult with the Washington state fusion center, state chief information officer, and each county auditor to identify instances of security breaches of election systems or election data.(2) To the extent possible, the secretary of state must identify whether the source of a secu…
Each county auditor shall implement no later than July 1, 2027, cybersecurity measures including but not limited to:(1) Implementation and adoption of the ".gov" top-level domain available through the United States department of homeland security through the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency for all elec…